The Painter
by pikagurl23
Summary: Ash has told Misty that he wants to pursue a career in singing and she can do nothing but let him go, even though their love is just beginning to blossom. Two years after their last meeting, will Misty have the courage to tell Ash the truth? ONE-SHOT AAML


Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon! Nor do I own the song 'The Painter' by O-Town!

A/N: Okay, so I wrote this one based on the song 'The Painter' by O-Town (yeah, I know, old school!). Hope you all enjoy!

The Painter

"I don't know about this Daisy," said Misty as she eyed the ticket carefully, "It's been almost two years since I've seen him last."

"And what better way to rekindle your love than to see him at one of his concerts," Daisy announced cheerfully.

Misty sighed, not quite knowing how to respond. She would have been lying if she said she didn't miss him…or want to see him or was still in love with him. However, it had been two long years since they parted ways. Ash, though he still had a passion for pokemon, decided that singing was his real calling. Misty had almost laughed herself into a coma when he had told her, however, when she realized that he was serious she knew a decision had to be made.

Though they had been in love, Misty knew their paths were different (she wanted to continue training after all) and that, in order for him to be happy, she would have to let him go. It was, by far, the hardest decision she had ever had to make. It had seemed like they were at the peak of their love when, all of a sudden, it just came crashing down.

She remembered that fateful day so clearly, the last day she ever saw him. The tears had been evident in both of their eyes that day because they didn't know when they would meet again. She remembered it so vividly…

Both Ash and Misty were standing at the fork in the road that connected their two towns. Brock had given them some privacy to sort things out and had promised to meet Ash up at his house later. He had volunteered to go along with Ash for the time being and help Ash start his road to singing stardom.

"Are you sure about this? Maybe we can work it out," pleaded Ash, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Misty simply shook her head, confirming her answer. She reached up to gently touch his cheek before gazing into his chocolate brown eyes that had captivated her since the day they met. It was then that she could no longer keep up her strong front and broke down into tears. Hugging her comfortingly, Ash only sighed.

"Mist, I don't wanna do this if--"

"No, I-I want you to be happy," she stuttered, tears still falling down her delicate face, "I need you to be happy and I know this is what you want."

"But not if it means never seeing you again," he argued, wiping away her tears.

"It'll be fine," she countered, reluctantly pulling out of his grasp.

"But--"

"Please Ash, you're making this harder than it needs to be," cried Misty, "Please, just leave."

She couldn't look at him. She knew if she did, she'd fall victim to her own selfish desires of keeping him all to herself. It wasn't fair to him, especially when he had been so supportive of her dreams and ambitions. Misty just wished it didn't have to come to this, but the longer they prolonged the inevitable, the more difficult the separation would be.

Ash, on the other hand, was a bit taken aback by the tone in Misty's voice. She was practically begging him to leave, to leave behind everything they ever shared…every moment, every laugh, every kiss…He couldn't just walk away from all of that…all the memories they shared together.

"Please Ash, just leave," she repeated almost desperately.

"But Misty--"

"Didn't you hear me?! I said leave!" she yelled through her tears, "I don't want to ever see you again, you hear me?! How could I ever be so foolish as to think that I was _ever_ in love with you?!"

With that said, Misty turned on her heels and ran to Cerulean City, leaving Ash stunned and heartbroken. He was having trouble comprehending what had just happened. His mind was reeling as he attempted to sort out the plethora of emotions and feelings surging through him.

"I love you Misty…" he whispered into the wind, watching her retreating figure vanish into the distance.

He sat on a nearby rock and held his head in his hands and cried silent tears wondering how everything had gone so terribly wrong…

Misty kept running as fast as her legs would carry her for fear that she would turn around and change her mind. Her mind was telling her to run, but her heart was desperately pleading with her to turn around and embrace the man she was still in love with, despite her harsh words.

'I'm so sorry Ash, I never meant to hurt you, but this is for the best,' she thought, tears cascading down her cheeks, 'I'll always love you…'

Since that fateful day, Misty had tried to move on but found it impossible. Ash was still a huge part of her life, even if she didn't like to admit it. Though she still felt the same about him as she had two years ago, she wondered if he even thought about her.

Misty knew that she had broken Ash's heart while doing what she thought was right, but despite all that, she longed to tell him the truth. The truth being that she never wanted to leave his side and that it had been one of the hardest decisions she had ever had to make.

"Like, Earth to Misty, well?" asked Lily, waving a hand in front of her youngest sister's face.

Misty shook her head, realizing that Lily was talking to her.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Lily, Daisy, and Violet sighed in exasperation. Why couldn't their younger sister just admit that she was still in love with that kid?

"Ash's concert?" supplied Violet impatiently.

"Oh right," sighed Misty, still mulling over the pros and cons of going to the event.

"Oh, just save us all the trouble and, like, go Mist. What's the worst that could happen? There are going to be so many people he, like, probably won't even see you," added Daisy.

Misty knew that, unless she went, her sisters would continue to annoy her about it. Besides, maybe it would be fun? And it would be good to see Ash again…

"Okay, you guys win," smiled Misty, snatching the ticket from Daisy.

"Like, it's about time," teased Daisy, "The concert's in Saffron City at the P1 club. Your train leaves in three hours."

"It's supposed to be a pretty good section," explained Violet, "Rich got them for us weeks ago."

Rich was Misty's sisters' agent. He set up all of their performances both in Cerulean and abroad. He also got them tickets and VIP treatment at some of the hottest and trendiest clubs in Kanto. It was because of Rich that Misty was even given the option to see Ash.

She examined the ticket for a moment then stuffed it into her pocket.

"Thanks guys," smiled Misty as she engulfed the trio in a hug.

"It's nothing Misty, just tell him the truth," advised Violet.

Misty nodded then ran to her room to prepare herself for the night ahead…

Ash was sitting in his dressing room staring at himself in the mirror. Tonight would be the night he debuted his new single, his tribute to a love he thought would last forever.

The song, he thought, portrayed all of his emotions about his love for Misty, the girl that Ash once thought he would spend the rest of his life with. It had been two years to the day that Misty left Ash, claiming that she no longer loved him, but, despite all that, he knew that couldn't be true…could it? The connection he shared with Misty was something that he couldn't explain, but their hearts, he knew, were somehow connected and if it was their destiny to be with one another, then time was their only enemy.

Ash glanced at the wall clock and noticed that he had only about an hour before show time. He ran a hand through his spiky black hair and sighed. He always spent his alone time before a concert in front of his mirror thinking about his family and friends. The thoughts soothed his restlessness and helped him to get over the anxiety that oftentimes overcame him.

Taking in a deep breath, he glanced at a picture that he had taped to his mirror. It was a picture of himself, Misty and Brock back when they were traveling together. He smiled, recalling their younger years as a group and oftentimes wished he could return to that time. Things were much simpler back then…he never had to worry about love.

A sudden knock at his door broke Ash out of his reverie. He turned but kept his seat in front of his mirror.

"Come in!" he called warily.

The door opened suddenly and Ash smiled as Brock and Pikachu entered the room.

"Hey man, you ready tonight?" asked Brock, closing the door behind him.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Hey there buddy," greeted Ash as he hugged Pikachu.

"Pika pi!"

"Well I just came in to let you know that this is your ten minute warning before show time," explained Brock as he had so many times before.

During the two year time span, Brock had been here and there sometimes traveling with Ash and introducing him at his concerts. During the downtime, he would oftentimes study up on the latest breeding trends or attend conventions with the help of Ash's VIP card and new status.

"Alright, thanks Brock," replied Ash as he let Pikachu jump from off of his lap.

Ash continued to stare at the picture that depicted so much growing up and sighed aloud. He wore a look of sadness and vacancy…a look that Brock couldn't help but notice.

Taking a step closer to his young friend, Brock placed a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I just…I don't understand why she left me," Ash said suddenly, catching Brock off-guard. Of course Ash was talking about Misty, but Brock, for whatever reason, didn't know how to respond.

"I still love her Brock…I can't stop thinking about her. She invades my dreams and I--"

"Ash, calm down, your rambling," cautioned Brock soothingly.

Ash took a deep breath, realizing that Brock was right. He couldn't go out and perform in the state he was in unless he calmed himself down.

"How many times have I told you? Misty left so that you could fulfill your dream…she must have felt that she would've stood in your way," explained Brock.

"But she wouldn't have…" Ash whispered.

Brock only shrugged and glanced at his watch warily.

"Ash, it's time," reminded Brock, "Are you sure your okay enough to do this?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…I'm a good actor," smiled Ash tiredly as he stood up and followed Brock and Pikachu out of the room…

The club was packed and, from what Misty could tell, it was standing room only. She found her section successfully and glanced around to pass the time. One half of the room was occupied by young teenage girls in miniskirts and platforms while the other half consisted of women in there twenties who were elegantly sipping martinis.

Misty's thoughts started to wander to Ash and she wondered if he had a girlfriend…however, Misty surprised herself by getting angry and shoved the thoughts aside. The women she was surrounded with were not his type. None of them seemed capable of loving Ash the way she did.

"Ash Ketchum is so totally hot!" a woman about the age of 20 exasperated. Misty turned her head to see three women talking directly to her left and listened in on their conversation discreetly.

"Yeah, I would definitely take him home with me," announced the second girl giddily.

"And the best part is that he's single," stated a third girl dreamily.

That last piece of information brought a smile to Misty's lips. However it still didn't douse her worries of what she would say to him if she got the chance to see him.

"I heard he had a girlfriend before, but they broke up before he made it big," explained the first girl, "She must be kicking herself now!"

"Yeah can you imagine the lifestyle you'd be leading if you were with him? Endless money, jewelry, cars…"

The three girls giggled to themselves which only made Misty stare at them and want to punch them out.

The second girl, however, noticed this and smiled at Misty.

"You'd do him too, wouldn't you?" she asked Misty bluntly.

"Um…excuse me?" stuttered Misty in shock.

"You heard me…you'd be absolutely crazy not to accept an offer from him!" she sighed.

Misty only shook her head in disbelief and said, "Last time I checked, being in a relationship involved a lot more than money and material things."

All three girls laughed at Misty's statement and waved her aside, thinking her absolutely crazy. Misty merely rolled her eyes and perked up when the lights of the club slowly started to dim.

She looked around for Ash or any sign that they would be starting the concert soon and found the emcee to her far right standing on a platform with a microphone in hand. Misty squinted her eyes to get a better look and to adjust her eyes when she noticed that the emcee was none other than…

"Brock?" she asked herself, though she couldn't even hear herself amongst all the screams.

"Hello Saffron!" announced Brock cheerily, only to be met with even more screams, "I know your not all here to see me blab so, without further ado, I'm proud to present the one you've all been waiting for…"

The screams only increased in magnitude and Misty had to almost cover her ears before her eardrums, she thought, would explode.

"He's gone double platinum in the past year and will be debuting his newest single tonight…please, give it up for, none other than…Ash Ketchum!" exclaimed Brock directing his hands towards the stage in the front of the club.

Misty watched as the boy that she had once left…the same one with whom she was still in love with, calmly walked on stage, only to be greeted by girls' screams in an explosion of sound.

When the screams finally started to die down, Ash brought the microphone to his lips and began to speak, "Thank you all for that warm welcome! I've appreciated all of your support these past few years and I have all my fans to thank for that. As you all know, this is my emcee and best friend Brock and he will be my backup singer for tonight, so please give him a round of applause."

The club filled with applause, however, Misty had to take in a deep breath to keep in from shedding a tear or two. He was still the same Ash she left behind two years ago…the same one she had fished out of that river all those years ago, and the same one, she decided, that she would tell the truth.

"This song is appropriately called 'The Painter' and I wrote it to depict the love I once shared with a woman that I am still madly in love with," he paused for a second to collect his thoughts before continuing, "The song describes how this woman is so perfect that there are no words to describe her perfection in the man's eyes…I hope you all enjoy it."

Misty wiped the tears that were forming in her eyes and tried to focus on the music that was now filtering out of the sound system. This song, she knew, was for her and their undying love for one another. She now knew that he felt the same…

"If I were a painter, mixing my colors

How could I ever find, the blue of your eyes?

The canvas could never, capture the light of your smile

Of your smile.

And girl, if I were a sculptor, working in marble

I couldn't hope, to copy your perfect face

The curve of your body, the feel of your skin

My hands could never, ever trace.

So I'll try and find a melody as beautiful as you

Find the words to say your eyes are bluer than blue

Fill my voice with the emotion I'm feeling for you

And now, when the beat is so strong

I'll give my heart in a song.

Oh girl,

If I were an actor, I could be someone

Someone who'd always know, the right things to say

But as soon as I'd see you, I'd forget all my lines

And you'd never know, what I feel inside

So I'll try and find a melody as beautiful as you

Find the words to say your eyes are bluer than blue

Fill my voice with the emotion I'm feeling for you

And now, when the beat is so strong

I'll give my heart in a song.

There's no other way (no other way)

That I know to say (I know to say)

Baby, how much I love you

And if you'll only give me a chance

Oh girl

So I'll try and find a melody as beautiful as you

Find the words to say your eyes are bluer than blue

Fill my voice with the emotion I'm feeling for you

And now, when the beat is so strong

I'll give my heart in a song.

I'll give my heart in a song

You know I'm not a painter, actor, baby

It don't matter

I'll give my heart in a song

Oh, you're so beautiful

Give you my heart in a song

I'll do, I'll do what I do

You know why, why?

Your eyes are bluer than blue

Uh huh, yeah,

I said I'll do what I do

I'll do, I'll do what I do

You know why, why?

Your eyes are bluer than blue

Uh huh, yeah,

I said I'll do what I do..."

As the song came to a close, screams and applause came from every inch of the club as both Ash and Brock took a bow and waved to the crowd. The tears were now silently streaming down Misty's face as she applauded along with the rest of the audience.

Misty knew it was now or never…if she didn't do this…if she didn't let him know how she felt, she may never get another chance…

Adrenaline surging through her body, she made her way to Brock's part of the stage and pulled at his pant leg to get his attention. Looking down, Brock only gasped when he caught the sight of his friend, tears in her eyes. Giving him a pleading look, Brock hoisted her up onto his stage and handed her the microphone.

"He's been waiting a long time for this," Brock whispered in her ear, while the spotlight came to fall on Misty's still form.

Misty nodded and squinted as her eyes fell on Ash, who was still waving to the crowd robotically. It was now or never…

"Ash…" Misty said timidly, causing Ash to turn in the direction of the second stage.

He gasped and almost dropped his microphone in utter surprise and shock. It couldn't be…it just couldn't be…It had been nearly two years since he had seen her and, all of a sudden, here she was staring into his eyes.

"M-Misty?" he stuttered hesitantly, "Wh-What are you doing here?"

By now, the club was full of curious whispers as to who this mysterious girl was. Even the three girls from before, Misty noticed, were giving her strange looks.

"I-I came to see you," she whispered into the microphone, "I-I needed to tell you the truth about what happened between us."

Ash merely stared at her, dumbfounded. The truth could mean so many things in a moment like this. What truth was she about to reveal?

"Mist, I've wanted--"

"Ash, I still love you!" Misty blurted out without thinking.

Gasps were heard throughout the club, but neither Misty nor Ash heard them. They were lost in their own little world where the only thing that existed was them.

A small smile escaping him, Ash leapt from off of the stage and through the crowd of people. Pushing past curious onlookers, Ash lifted himself onto Misty's stage and held her hands in his.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that," he whispered to her before engulfing her in a tight hug.

"A-Ash, I'm so sorry for what I did…I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving," she cried, "I never meant any of those things I said, I was just scared."

"I know, it's okay," he said, before pulling away from her slightly to wipe away her tears, "We're together now and that's all that matters…god, I missed you so much."

Misty lifted up to gently caress his cheek, which brought a smile to both of their lips. Neither of them had changed in the eyes of the other, and it made the reunion that much sweeter.

Ash lowered his face down until he was mere inches away from her face and whispered, "Mist, I love you so much."

"I love you too Ash," she whispered, gently pulling his cheek down for a tender, yet loving kiss. They didn't care that the whole club was staring and nearly every girl there were shooting daggers at Misty, they only cared about the other and the kiss they were now sharing as a result of their renewed love.

As they broke away and stared into the each others eyes, Brock broke the silence and placed his arms around his two best friends for whom had finally found happiness.

"Good to have you two back to your old selves," Brock smiled, lightly squeezing his friends.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," murmured Ash.

"Me neither," replied Misty.

The two shared yet another kiss as Brock released them and simply sighed at his two friends, happy that their love had finally been rekindled.

A/N: Well, I think I wrote this one in record time lol! I have another song-type fic in the works based on the song 'Hate That I Love You' by Rhianna and Ne-yo, so hopefully I'll get my lazy butt in gear and get that started. I am also in the middle of writing the next chapter for 'Deadly Love' so please look out for that! Nothing much to say but please review and AAML for life!


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